Reinforced last for boots and shoes.



PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

- w. 1). BAKER.

' REINFORCED LAST FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1907.

- Fla. 1 ,4

n n 6 c d VV/T/VKSSZIS) WINTHROP D. BAKER, or BROCKTON,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PROTECTOR LAST REINFORCING COMPANY, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS- SAO-HUSETTS.

REINFORCED LAST FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed July 5, 1907- Serial No.382.188-

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, WINTHROP BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reinforced Lasts for Boots or Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptioh of the invention, such as will 'enabl'e'others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, it) My invention relates to improvements in lasts used in the manufactureof boots and shoes, and it has for its object to so construct and protect'a wooden last that it can he usedduring the heeling operation.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes it is very de- 1 5 Sir-able to be able to attach the heels thereto without removing thereirom the wooden last upon which theshoe has been lasted, and upon which it has been supported and shaped during the operations incident to its manufacture up to the heeling operation, and the consequentre-lasting of the shoe after the attaching of the heel cause'sa distortion of the upper and sole of the shoe,- which .is objectionable, and the labor incident to the withdrawal of the wooden last and the subsequent re-- lasting adds to the. cost of production. The resultis that many attempts have been made to reinforce and strengthen the heelportion ofwooden lasts so that they maybe capable of withstanding the tremendous pressure incident to the attaching Oi the-heel and the proper compression of the heel and toplift.

It has been found impracticable to use the ordinary 'wooden last, for the reason that there is considerable play between the spindle of the jack of the heeling inachine aud thethimbl'e of the last, and therefore the last is liable totip while .under compressive strains, thus producing torsional strains between the jack spindle and thelast, which frequently splits the last at the heel portion. Furthermore, the metallic block which supports thspindl'e of the'jack oithe heelingmachine cuts into the fibersof the wood and destroys the surfaces of 40 the last in contact therewith.

i The object of .the'p'resent invention;therefore, is to provide a 1pressure receiving cushioning protective lplateto be secured to a wooden last at the comb portion thereof,and. thus protect the last from splitting and i5 from being injured by the block of the heeling machine.

' Toth'e above ends my invention con'sistsof the'improved last which will b'e'hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims. r I I My, invention :isiillustrated the accompanying Figure 1 shows in side elevation a last embodying my invention mounted upon the jack of a heeling machine, a portion only of the jack being shown. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view through the last and showing the upper part of the jack in elevation.

throughout the specification and drawing to designate corresponding parts.

;- Similar reference characters will be employed In the drawing A represents a wooden last of any usual or preferred construction, and provided with the usual instep block B.

0 represents my improved protective cushioning comb plate which is inserted in a recess in the upperor combpart of the last A, formed by cutting away the last upon the lines o and 0'.

My improved protective cushioning plateis formed of two parts, an outer part C formed of some hard and substantially incompressible material, preferably a fibrous material, such as vulcanized fiber, and a cushioning' part 0 preferably formed of sole leather. The parts 0 and C will be fashioned to conformto the sides and rear end of the last at the comb portion and will be snugly fitted within the cut-away portion, as shown, and securely fastened therein in any suitable manner,

- as by means of the screws d, theheads of which willbe received in countersunk recesses d. The last will preferably be provided with a metallic thimble E, arranged to receive the spindle e projecting upwardly from the block 2 of the jack e. I

It will be noted from an inspection of the drawing that when the last is in position upon the jack, the compara'tively hard fibrous pressure receiving block is in direct contact with the block e of the jack and that the pressure incident tothe attaching of the heel will be transmitted by the protecting plate over a considerable area and through the cushioning layer, and that no'matter how small the jack block may be with relation to the comb of the last, the pressure cannot be localized; thus the last isprotected and prevented from chipping off along the comb and is adapted to withstand the great pressure incident to the heeling operation.

Having described the construction and mode of operation of my invention I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:-

1. A wooden last for boots or shoes provided with a. re-

cess at the comb portion snd with a protective cushioning plate fitted in said recess, said cushioning plate'coinprisin'g an outer layer of tibrous'substantlally incompressible material and an under layerot cushioning material, substantially as described, 1 I

, 2. a protective comb plate tor wooden lasts comprising an outerflayer: of fibrous "substantially incompressible ma.- terlal and an under layer of. cushioning material secured thereto and having its sides and rear end shaped to coniorm with the sides and rear of a last at the comb portion thereof, substantially-as described.

3. A last provided at its comb portion with a protective eushioning plate comprislngan outer layer oi. fibrous substantlally incompressible material and an under layer of .cnshloning material and means for attaching said prowINTHRoP D. BAKER.

Witnesses: l

T. HART ANDERSON, MARY Avnmn KENNEY. 

